Mikky Keetels, a rising marathoner and influencer, aims to challenge the defending champion Dayna Pidhoresky at the 2026 BMO Vancouver Marathon on May 3, 2026. The event will take place in Vancouver, BC, and is expected to draw thousands of participants.
The full marathon begins at Queen Elizabeth Park and finishes near the Vancouver Convention Centre. Keetels is entering this competition after placing eighth in the NN Marathon Rotterdam with a time of 2:30:42. Pidhoresky holds the course record from her win in 2023, finishing in 2:29:03.
Key facts about the marathon:
- The marathon includes a full marathon, half marathon, 8 km, and a kids run.
- Bus detours will be in effect on May 2 and May 3 due to road closures.
- TransLink will add extra bus, SkyTrain, and SeaBus service for the marathon.
Keetels has made headlines not just for her running but also for her charity efforts. Since her first marathon in 2019, she has raised over €100,000 for KiKA. “What began as a one-time challenge quickly turned into something much bigger,” she said.
Pidhoresky’s recent performance includes a season’s best of 2:31:24 at the McKirdy Micro Marathon. Another strong competitor is Rita Jelagat, who recorded a personal best of 2:32:19 at the 2025 Los Angeles Marathon.
Mikky Keetels expressed her excitement about the upcoming race: “I’m going into it feeling relaxed and just want to see what the day brings.” The atmosphere surrounding the event suggests it will be highly competitive.
The BMO Vancouver Marathon is one of Canada’s premier road races. It draws runners from across the region and around the world. As race day approaches, many are eager to see how these athletes perform against each other.
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